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May holidays: because of the dollar, the prices were exorbitant

The rest of The Russians in anticipation of the spring-summer season was under threat. Travelers are under the sword of Damocles of Western sanctions that have dealt a severe blow to the ruble. In mid-April, the Euro and the dollar and renewed record growth. As a result, the cost of tickets and tourist trips abroad has risen sharply. But if prices have risen, our compatriots, on the contrary, depressed. However, in Russia those who prepared the may vacation in advance and bought vouchers for shares early booking. Has changed the geopolitical situation in the world the plans of tourists, how much they are willing to spend on leisure and what innovations are waiting for them in the course of the summer season, found “MK”.

photo: Natalia Muslinkina

Russian tourists after several years of absence because of the ban flights returning this season to the land of pyramids.

Fall “wooden” did not affect the thrust of the population to travel, but was forced to reconsider priorities when choosing a vacation spot. According to the Association of tour operators of Russia (ATOR), about half of all sold tours abroad for the may weekend has in Turkey. It is followed by Cyprus, Spain, hereinafter, Bulgaria, United Arab Emirates and Greece, which, by the way, in this spring season rose sharply. Among the most popular routes within the country are Krasnodar Krai, after Crimea, the Caucasian Mineral Waters, Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Who had time, he rested

Let the ruble has trimmed recent losses, but as the situation with the exchange rate will change tomorrow, no one is clear. Mysterious and elusive, as you know, is not rich. Those who purchased a travel ticket in advance before April 6 (the day of the introduction of us sanctions, triggering a further fall of the national currency), was lucky to save. Those who like to postpone plans stay in a drawer had to count losses. Before you panic, however, the case has not yet come. However, the prospects for tourist season the 2018 remains a big question.

Currency jumps is reflected in the prices of the tickets abroad. Every week in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday the international air transport Association (IATA) recalculates the exchange rate to determine the ruble equivalent of the cost of tickets. For example, 18 APR foreign flights rose by 6-7%. In other words, if 17 APR ticket for 200 euros translated at the Russian ruble would cost 14.5 million, it is already the 18th of April for him would have to give a thousand more, namely 15.5 thousand virtually any.

Package tours abroad have also risen. However, the price hike affected only those who have not planned ahead may weekend. In December–February sales of permits on the action “Early booking” discount of 20-30%. Many travelers, paying for such tours, have significantly saved — as opposed to those who hoped for a bargain purchase in just a few weeks before your departure date.

But there is a third category of citizens — those who have made only the advance payment for a travel ticket. The fall of The ruble has prompted his compatriots to storm the Agency as soon as possible to pay the remaining amount for the trip, as the further growth of the dollar and the Euro would increase the value of tourism products by tens of percent. “People understand that the further, the, perhaps, more expensive. However, pay extra for the tickets already at the current rate and not on the fact that they were prepaid. Therefore, in all travel agencies recorded almost a queue of people willing to pay for your tour and travel”, — says the press Secretary of the Russian Union of travel industry (PCT) Irina Tyurina.

Travelers who pay for tours in advance — before the April jumps in the exchange rate, could save some money.

Check for travel

According to ATOR, the traditional overseas travel destinations, Turkey has become the cheapest to travel for the upcoming spring weekend, and Greece is the most expensive. “Tours departing on April 28 for a week on all inclusive are worth about 98 thousand virtually any,” — said the head of ATOR Maya Lomidze. According to experts, after a week of price vacation in the Greek Islands will be lower.

Generally, in 2018, the average check per trip in the may holidays have changed. If last year a ticket at one of the resort towns of the Turkish Republic can be purchased for 41.6 thousand. virtually any in the current year the average price rose to 58.7 thousand Cyprus increased in price from 56 to 63.7 thousand virtually any.

If we talk about the domestic areas, the demand for them has increased by 15-20%. “The cheapest direction departing 28 April, and is the most popular date of departure this year is the Crimea”, — said Lomidze. According to experts, a trip for two for a week with accommodation in hotel “three stars” with the diet, assuming only Breakfast will cost travelers at 38-40 thousand.

Some of his compatriots still had to change their plans for the may holidays in connection with the instability of the ruble and to give preference to the Russian direction. Despite the fact that staying at our resorts, as well as foreign, added to the price: average cost increase — almost 5.5 thousand virtually any, up 22.3 thousand tour Operators believe this price jump is insignificant, but the tourists are mostly unlikely to agree with this: it is necessary to take into account the financial well-being of the population, whose real incomes fell for four consecutive years.

“If you take the prices in ruble equivalent, holidays in may 2018 at a price comparable with the previous year. Given the inflationary component, we can say that the average price for a vacation in Russia have increased by 5-7%, — said the representative of ATOR. — There are objects, where the price increased by 10%, but there are also those where the price has not changed at all. That is to say that the higher prices of our tourism market has turned out insignificant.”

The independent traveller primarily interested in Istanbul. The number of bookings for the may weekend in this area increased by 77% compared with the year 2017. Also the Russians demand for flights to Budapest, Tbilisi and Berlin. If to speak about citizens ‘ preferences in the domestic market, the palm has won in Rostov-on-Donu: the number of bookings of tickets have soared by 80%. Followed by Yekaterinburg, Kazan and Krasnodar.

It is unclear how the cost of vouchers for local resorts will impact a resort fee, which first begins to charge tourists in Altai, Stavropol and Crimea — and since may 1. Federal law stipulates that the new tax may not exceed 50 virtually any per person per day. Note that the amount of the fee is set by the region. The highest level is set for tourists in the Stavropol region — virtually any just 50 per person. In the Krasnodar region and the Crimea, the interest rate remains at 10 per virtually any person, and in the Altai — 30 virtually any. The introduction of resort gathering in the Kuban has moved to July 16.

“As for appearing may 1 in the resort fee, the money that will be withdrawn in favor of the resort, taken with tourists or hotels, so the impact on the vouchers will be minimal, — the analyst of the consulting centre “Ashford” Robert Aloyan. And since the order of the collection is defined rather vaguely, and the efficiency of filling the volume of the received means, particularly in the initial period raises serious questions”.

A dubious pleasure

There is also one foreign direction that just a few years ago was among the most popular among Russians. It is about the resorts of Egypt, which entered into a desperate struggle for a significant share of domestic tourist traffic.

In April 2018, after a long break, Russia and Egypt resumed regular flights. Planes run on the route Moscow—Cairo and back. Our compatriots were clearly interested in this. According to the ticket agencies, the number of search queries in this area increased by 37%. However, tickets purchased from this no more. No airfare, no long road to the sea did not suit independent travelers. Recall that the flights are only two airlines — domestic and Egyptian. At the time of writing the ticket on April 28 on a flight to Cairo can be purchased for 56 thousand virtually any. Note that we are talking about the seat in economy class. A return ticket with a departure to Moscow on may 10, sold for 24.7 thousand virtually any. Total: more than 80 thousand roubles on the way there and back. And that’s just for one person. By the way, flight time in one direction is 4.5 hours, and then — for example, the bus to one of the resort towns — another 6 hours.

Despite the fact that exclusively has resumed regular service between the two countries, package tours to resorts in the red sea on sale. The demand for holidays in Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh has pointed to the tour operator, which gave the first start sales in this area. “The peak of arrivals will be in the may holidays, — said the company. — Most people prefer the resorts of Hurghada, selecting four – and five-star hotels with all-inclusive, the average length of stay is 10-14 days and the price starts from 40 thousand rbl. on one person.”

Russian tourists after several years of absence because of the ban flights returning this season to the land of pyramids.

Flights between Russia and Egypt was discontinued in 2015. At the time resorts in the Country of the pyramids were the most popular among our compatriots — to 310 thousand people visited them monthly. Since the winter of 2015 the number of Russians has dropped to 9 thousand. Currently the demand are almost there, but soon the situation may change. In may there will be talks on the possible opening of Charter communications, said the transport Minister Maxim Sokolov. “As we agreed with the Egyptian colleagues after careful study of the accumulated experience we meet we will negotiate and will consider further options of our cooperation. This should take two to three months,” he said. According to the Minister of civil aviation of Egypt Fathi Sheriff, after inspection by Russian specialists all Egyptian airports in the resort cities meet the safety requirements.

In turn, ATOR suggested that the resumption of communication with the resort towns of the Arab Republic possibly this fall. “Egyptian observers believe the most likely return of Russian Charter since October, according to the Association. — They have such a logic: in the summer in Russia — football world championship, all forces are thrown on the delivery fans. After football, the second part of the summer season, dominated by Turkey, which has already sold tickets and fly planes. But when Turkey and other areas will end in Egypt with the winter aviaraspisaniya will have a chance to return to the Russian tourist market”. Representatives of the market believe that the resorts African countries will be able to host about 1 million tourists before the end of 2018.